What is a dynamic QR Code: Benefits and Use Cases

We all know what is a QR Code. But did you know that there are two types of QR Codes? They’re called static and dynamic.

A static QR Code is the most basic form of a QR Code. It stores alphanumeric characters (or target content) in the code itself. Like how a barcode has numeric data stored in the code itself.

Say you are a marketer and you want to redirect your consumers to a website using a QR Code. If the data encoded in the QR Code is the website address then the QR Code is a static QR Code. Once created, you cannot change the data. If you want to redirect to a new website, you will need to create a new static QR Code. Sounds expensive, doesn’t it?

That’s where dynamic QR Codes come in.

What are the benefits of dynamic QR Codes?

Dynamic QR Codes have the following five key benefits over static QR Codes:

1. Edit your target URL at anytime

This gives great flexibility if you are running dynamic campaigns with varying content. You can edit the URL at anytime without the need to reprint the QR Code.

Imagine you added a QR Code to your business card. Today you want people to see your LinkedIn profile. A year later you may want to redirect them to your own website. You can do this if you are using a dynamic QR Code.

2. Track scanning activity

That’s right. You can view:

How many people are scanning your QR Code

From which location they have scanned

Which device did they use for scanning (mobile, tablet)

It gives you a deep insight on how your campaign is working out for you. It also gives you opportunities to increase your conversion rate.

3. Keep the QR Code clean and small

Because a dynamic QR Code contains only a short URL, the QR Code has fewer modules. The end result will be that you can keep the QR Code smaller as compared to a static QR Code.

4. Activate/Deactivate your QR Codes anytime

What if your campaign has ended? Well, with the click of a button, you can activate/deactivate your QR Code at anytime. Note that with static QR Codes this is impossible as long as the end target URL is active.

5. Get access to engaging QR Codes

Some QR Code Management tools allow you to create your own mobile landing pages. It is for specific use cases and is only possible using dynamic QR Codes. Scanova users know this to be true. Here are a few examples:

b. Social Media QR Code

Running a campaign to get social media followers using a QR Code? Why stop at Facebook? Social Media QR Code lets you create a landing page that contains links to all your social media pages. Your audience can choose their favourite social media platform to follow you.

c. App Store QR Code

Creating a QR Code to get your target audience to download your mobile app? You are most likely using 3 different QR Codes – each of iOS, Android, and Windows. App Store QR Code is a single QR Code that does the job of all three. It first identifies the operating system of the scanning device. Then, it redirects it to the right app store. Neat, isn’t it?
Create App Store QR Code now.

How to create a dynamic QR Code?

Most free QR Code generators you will find online create only static QR Codes. What you will need to use is a QR Code Management tool (such as Scanova) to:

Create

Design

Manage

Track your dynamic QR Codes

Go ahead and create your first Dynamic QR Code with Scanova.

Create a dynamic QR Code

Gautam Garg is a Co-founder of Scanova. He is a QR Code enthusiast and a big fan of inbound marketing, CRO, and usability. When taking a break, he likes to travel solo and eat spicy food. Follow him on Twitter @GGarg88